A data mining approach to study the air pollution induced by urban phenomena and the association with respiratory diseases

During the last two decades, there is an intensive urbanization process and in Brazil, almost nine out of ten people live in urban centers. The high growth rate of cities induces imbalances in weather patterns, with negative consequences to the public health. This paper proposes a data mining approach to aid the local urban management team to better understand the consequences resulting from air pollution and its interference within public health in three cities of the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba, Brazil. The knowledge gained in this study, which is still in the early phase of data collection, can contribute to the debate on social issues and public policies that can benefit the Brazilian urban management.